A Tiggeriffic Halloween Pic--With a Bit of Disney Magic!

Okay so the software I used to trick out the picture isn't from Disney but Vampire Tigger looks a bit more awesome but not a bit frightening with his new look.

Have a Magically Fun Filled Halloween!

Copyright 2011 Magical Mouse Tales

Speechless Sunday (Almost)--Drawing Jack Skellington and Zero at Disneyworld

A couple of years ago we were fortuante enough to visit Walt Disneyworld in Orlando, FL in October. Not just because we were able to enjoy Epcot's Food and Wine Festival or attend a Not-So-Scary Halloween Party; because we were able to learn to draw Jack Skellington and Zero at Disney's Hollywood Studio's Animation exhibit. On any given visit you can stop by and attend a 30 minute class and learn to draw a Disney character. But only when it is a few days before Halloween will the artist instructors give a lesson on drawing the infamous characters from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. It was a real treat...no tricks involved. My drawing turned out quite nice too! Happy Halloween from Magical Mouse Tales!

Copyright 2011 Magical Mouse Tales

Disney Quiz--Is YOUR Family Totally Disney-fied?

Our family was “Disney-fied” from the get-go. When my husband and I were dating, one of my first gifts to him was the video of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger too! Back in the 80's it was an odd gift for a male college student...but perfect for my Tigger-loving guy. We watched the tape over and over with my nieces and could pretty much quote the entire show. We also used our nieces as reasons to go to Disney movies as pre-Pixar, it didn’t seem too cool for 20-somethings to go alone.

Naturally, when we got married, we honeymooned at Walt Disney World. Unfortunately, it was before destination weddings were a big thing so being a Disney bride wasn’t an option. However, we did meet and have our picture taken with Mickey Mouse after standing in line with a couple dozen kids to commemorate the occasion.

As Disney-fied parents, we let Mickey help teach our boys to read using our collection of Disney’s Sing-A-Long Song videos as well as reading from our library of Disney Classics. Dumbo was a favorite of my oldest son and from 9 months old he would sit on my lap as I read about Casey Junior, Dumbo and Timothy the Mouse.

So is YOUR family Disney-fied?

Wondering how Disney-fied your family is? Take this quick quiz

1. Do all your holiday decorations have a Disney theme?
2. Do Disney Movie Quotes Pop into your head constantly?
3. Can you name the Seven Dwarfs? Have you met them?
4. Is Disneyworld the only place your family wants to vacation?
5. Do you point out hidden Mickeys wherever you go?
6. When you say goodbye to someone, do you wish them a Magical Day?

If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, your family has also been immersed in the culture and magic of Disney. You are as Disney-fied as we are!

Copyright 2011 Magical Mouse Tales

Can't Miss DisneyWorld Family Favorite Restaurants (And a Few to Skip Next Trip!)

We are well into the midst of planning for our seventh family vacation to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida and of course that means making reservations for our favorite, can't miss WDW restaurants. After reviewing my earlier Can't Miss Disneyworld Restaurant article, I knew it was time for an update.


As noted in previous posts, we are big fans of the Disney Dining Plan. Often we upgrade to the Deluxe Dining Plan so we have three meal credits every day. This way we can go to the Aloha show AND Hoop De Doo without having to choose between the ribs and the pineapple bread. It is perfect because we don’t have to worry about the bill no matter which restaurant or menu items we select. If someone, or everyone, chooses to eat steak at Le Cellier, we don’t have to be concerned about living on bologna sandwiches and chips for the rest of our vacation
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At Disney World there are lots of great places to eat but only a few make our family's "must go to" list year after year. Here are the ones that make the cut and a few that didn't measure up.

Our Family's THREE Can’t Miss Disneyworld Restaurants:

1. Teppan Edo/Japan Pavilion Epcot (Entertaining Chef and AWESOME food!)
2. The Garden Grill/Epcot (The catfish is great and the characters make it FUN!)
3. 50’s Prime Time Café/Hollywood Studios (Great food but clean your plate or it could be fed to you!)
   
4. Aloha Dinner Show/Polynesian Resort (Fire dancers are astounding and the pineapple bread was a treat!)

Also worth noting:

• Hoop de doo Revue/Fort Wilderness Campground (Great food and awesome show!)
• Tony's Town Square/Magic Kingdom (Best Italian food at WDW!)

• Le Cellier/Epcot (Great place to have lunch but not worth 2 dinner credits in our book. We love the moose mousse dessert!)

Skipping next trip:

1. Chef Mickey’s/Contemporary Resort (Fun for kids, but our family remains unimpressed with the food and atmosphere.)
   
2. Mama Melrose’s/Hollywood Studios (Service and food were just okay...worth going if you get Fantasmic Priority seats.)
   
3. Tusker House/Animal Kingdom (We used to love this buffet for breakfast but found that the Cape May buffet at the Beach Club Resort was MUCH better!)

Copyright 2011 Magical Mouse Tales

Why October is the Best Time of Year to Visit Disney World

I will be honest here. Of all our family trips to Orlando, only two trips have not been in October so maybe we are a bit biased. But we believe October is the best time to visit Disneyworld and not just because of the Not So Scary Halloween Party either.

We did go one year in at the very end of August and it was way too hot. Another visit we tried a trip in February and like Goldilocks found Momma Bear's porridge, Florida was way too cold! So we decided to stick with the time of year when the temperature is perfect. October is an awesome time to visit our favorite vacation destination!

Here are our top 5 reasons we love going to WDW in October

1. Less crowded--Most kids are in school so the parks are not as crowded.
2. Great Discounts--We always seem to be able to take advantage of the FREE Disney Dining plan promotion.
   
3. Not so Hot & Humid--Sure there will be days approaching 90+ but most of the weather is in the 80's. Perfect for waterparks but not so hot we cannot enjoy a full day at each park.
4. Dining Options--We always set our dining reservations as soon as we book our vacation and have never not gotten into all of our favorite restaurants.
5. Decor--Not So Scary and other seasonal decorations make the parks even more special during the fall season.

Copyright 2011 Magical Mouse Tales

Wordless Wednesday (Almost)--Animal Kingdom Bats are Not So Scary AND Not to be MISSED Either!

We have been to Walt Disney World many times and our most favorite time to go is October. We love the Not So Scary Halloween party and cooler fall temperatures....At least it is cooler than the heat of the summer season!

But whenever we vacation at Disney World in Orlando, FL we visit all four parks and Downtown Disney too! Animal Kingdom often gets a bad rap as the "boring" park because it has more things to see than things to ride. If you are only going for the thrill rides, you'd better have a park hopper pass so you can head somewhere else after enjoying Exhibition Everest, Dinosaur and Kali River Rapids. However, if you have a family that really enjoys exploring and loves animals, plan on spending the entire day.

The photo above is a perfect "not so scary" image from Animal Kingdom. These huge bats reminded us of the much loved picture book, Stellaluna, the story of a fruit bat raised by birds. Seeing the giant fruit bats is only one of the many hidden treasures to put on your MUST DO LIST when you visit the Animal Kingdom park in Walt Disney World. It is amazing what you will see when you take the time to explore all of the trails!

Copyright 2011 Magical Mouse Tales

Disney Dining Plan—Is it Worth It? You Bet YOUR Mouse-ears It Is!

Our first visit to WDW in the early 1990’s, we were on our honeymoon and we didn’t think ahead to what we might want to eat during our trip. We stayed offsite in a hotel with a fridge and a continental breakfast that consisted of a donut & glass of cheap (not fresh) OJ. Yeah, kind of disappointing since we were paying over $100/night and visiting Florida...the state full of sunshine and fresh oranges! To add insult to injury, we were bombarded with fabulous food choices all around the world from Magic Kingdom to Epcot; but oh, those prices. We just didn’t plan ahead.

When we took our boys for their first trip to see Mickey Mouse, we weren’t about to make the same mistake again. We stayed on site at the All Star Sports Resort and had a package that included 3 meals and 2 snacks for each of us in the family everyday. We economized on the hotel and splurged on the dining plan. It was fabulous! We were able to take our boys to several character breakfasts, lunches and/or dinners. We experienced FRESH squeezed orange juice on several occasions. There were even credits leftover at the end of the trip that we were able to use for souvenirs. Sadly, the souvenir option has been discontinued but after a decade of using the dining plan, our family remains sold!

In fact, we often upgrade to the Disney Deluxe Dining Plan so we can use two table services for the fabulous dinner theater shows; Hoop de Doo Review and Spirit of Aloha Luau. Last year, our family experienced dining in Cinderella’s Castle at the Royal Table with all the princesses…and even though my kids are teenaged boys they enjoyed both the food and atmosphere (i.e. beautiful princesses).

It works for us because we don’t have to say “no” to a Mickey-shaped ice cream treat or chance to eat dinner at Chef Mickey’s. Yes, it is a bit of “food overload” at times. We always seem to have a few extra dining credits at the end of our vacation, which do expire at the end of the trip. Yet, we still come out several hundreds of dollars ahead on the food.

The key is planning ahead…6 months ahead to be exact. It is much easier now with the online reservation option…but I still call in as talking one-on-one with a cast member can give insight into the best dining options. Have your dining reservations in place well in advance is essential to get the most from the Disney Dining Plan as the best dining venues in WDW fill quickly!

Copyright 2011 MagicalMouseTales